Business machine printer ribbon automatic inking device

ABSTRACT

An ink-metering roll regularly shifted during each cycle of a business machine from an associated ribbon-inking roll to an associated ink supply and thence back to said inking roll for transferring a predetermined amount of ink from such supply to a printing mechanism ribbon associated for advancement with the rotation of said inking roll. In the preferred form, the ink supply is arranged for dispensing a precise amount of ink to several peripheral zones on said metering roll when moved thereagainst, the metering roll is arranged for friction rotation with the inking roll during machine cycling, and the metering roll is longitudinally grooved for distributing the ink so dispensed thereon equally therealong and onto said ribbon-inking roll during the time of rotation thereof.

United States Patent I 1 i 1 i 1 Inventor Andre A. Lottiau Vilvorde,Belgium Appl, No. 749,200 Filed July 31,1968 Patented June 1, 1971Assignee The National Cash Register Company Dayton, Ohio Priority Dec.12, 1967 Great Britain 56334/67 BUSINESS MACHINE PRINTER RIBBONAUTOMATIC INKING DEVICE 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

8/1919 Hiltz Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey AssistantExaminer-Stephen C. Pellegrino At!0rneysL0uiS A. Kline and Wilbert Hawk,Jr.

ABSTRACT: An ink-metering roll regularly shifted during each cycle of abusiness machine from an associated ribboninking roll to an associatedink supply and thence back to said inking roll for transferring apredetermined amount of ink from such supply to a printing mechanismribbon associated for advancement with the rotation of said inking roll.In the preferred form, the ink supply is arranged for dispensing aprecise amount of ink to several peripheral zones on said metering rollwhen moved thereagainst, the metering roll is arranged for frictionrotation with the inking roll during machine cycling, and the meteringroll is longitudinally grooved for distributing the ink so dispensedthereon equally therealong and onto said ribbon-inking roll during thetime of rotation thereof.

PATENTED Jun nan INVENTOR ANDRE F. A. LOTTIAU HIS ATTORNEYS EUSINESSMACHINE PRINTER RIBBON AUTOMATIC INKING DEVICE With cash registers andother business machines becoming common means for preparing printedrecords to be used as optically read input media for electroniccomputers, it is of course extremely important that the quality of dataprinted thereby be such that the data is clearly readable by an opticalreader and that such quality of the print be continually maintained evenafter a long period of use of the particular machine being so employed.In this regard, and considering such machines making use of ink ribbonsin their printer mechanisms, either ribbon change on a regular scheduleof machine operations completed or ribbon re-inking by some means duringmachine operation must be considered as prerequisite to the maintenanceof a high print quality with extended machine usage-say, for example,when approaching a record media production of something in excess of100,000 printed lines. The latter alternative, of ribbon reinking, is ofcourse a most delicate task, as too much or too little ink presented tothe ribbon at anyone time results in a print laydown totallyunacceptable for optical character recognition purposes. ltis thus tothe end of providing improvements in ribbon-inking means that theinstant invention is directed.

While many of the known ribbon-inking devices are highly successful andquite adequate for their intended purposes, the criticalness associatedwith print quality for use with optical readers is found in practice toshow that such devices, after a relatively short period of use, cease tomaintain that inked-ribbon condition essential to providing asufficiently clear and optically readable printed record. While apopular type of inking device is one which is continually effective forproviding a steady flow of ink to the ribbon member in question, suchfor example, as the ribbon-inking machine disclosed in US. Pat. No.1,486,674, issued Mar. 11, 1924, on the application of Frederick GeorgeMeyer, which employs an arrangement of intermeshing gears fortransferring a continuous ink supply to the peripheral surface of one ofa pair of ribbon-engaging inking rolls, or, forfurther example, as perthe US. Pats. No. 2,745,533, issued May 15, 1956, on the application ofHenry W. Keleher, and No. 2,770,215, issued Nov. 13, 1956, on theapplication of John I. Knight, which relate to an ink supply wick forcontinually inking an associated ink transfer roll maintained inengagement with the machine ribbon, overinking of the ribbon isreasonably soon detected with ink bleeding around the characterformations, resulting in a generally fuzzy and hence unacceptableprinted record; i.e., lacking in that degree of sharpness essential toaccurate optical reading. Further such devices include, as shown in US.Pat. No. 2,890,930, issued Apr. 7, 1959, on the application of Frank R.Werner et al., mechanism providing continuous engagement of anink-metering roll with an associated ink reservoir wick member, whichmetering roll, as well as ink reservoir, may be further mounted forshifting movement to manually present the metering roll as socontinually inked by the associated wick to or from engagement with theassociated machine ribbon per se or with an intervening ink distributionroll. While some control over ribbon inking is present with such latterdevice-capable of being manually set for either fixed on or offoperation, frequent and time-consuming attention to such type ofribbon-inking device is a must to the prevention of overinking of theribbon in one instance and, just as bad with respect to acceptable printlaydown for optical reader purposes, underinktfig of the ribbon inanother instance. f

With the above discussion in mind, it is the primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved ribbon-inking device for use inprinter mechanism of business machines employed at least in part forpreparing record media having optically readable data printed thereon.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such aribbon-inking device in which the disadvantages of over-inking" andunder-inking, referred to above, are completely alleviated. To this end,in addition to providing for automatic operation of a ribbon-inkingdevice at a precise point in cycling time during each business machineoperation, rather than the common practice above noted of being manuallyset for either fixed on or off operation at any one time, contrary tothe further practice so noted of providing continuous engagement betweenthe ink-container-feeding means (wick, etc.) and its associated inktransfer means (metering roll, etc.), the present invention makes use ofwhat might be termed a stamp pad principle of precisely timedintermittent engagement therebetween; i.e., of automatic shifting ofsuch ink transfer means back and forth between the associated ink supplymeans and ribbon-engaging inking means (felt roll, etc.) forintermittent transfer of ink thereby from such supply means for to suchribbon-engaging inking means.

Still a further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof an ink transfer means in the form of a serrated metering roller asopposed to heretofore-used smooth such rollers, resulting in inkdistribution along and by the metering roller rather than relying solelyupon the associated felt inking roll for such.

With these and incidental objects in view, the instant invcn tionincludes certain novel features of construction and combinations ofparts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appendedclaims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafterdescribed with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms apart of this specification.

Of said drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of the ribbon-inking mechanism makingup the present invention as incorporated with the framework constructionof a cash register or similar business machine;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the ribbon-inking mechanism ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of cam means regularly operated duringeach business machine cycle of operation for actuating the ribbon-inkingmechanism thereduring, such cam means being shown in operated position.

In general, as disclosed by the drawing, the invention includes an inkribbon in contact with a portion of the periphery of an inking rollerfor applying ink to the ribbon member, an ink transfer roller movableinto and out of contact with said inking roller and an ink transfermeans which is arranged to transfer ink to said transfer roller from anink reservoir when said transfer roller is in contact therewith, andtransfer roller control mechanism arranged to move said transfer rollerboth into contact with said ink transfer means and therefrom to contactwith said inking roller during one portion of each cycle of operation ofthe particular business machine being employed, said transfer rollerbeing arranged to rotate in contact with the inking roller duringanother portion of each machine cycle of operation so as to transfer inkto the inking roller from said ink transfer means, said transfer rollerbeing grooved longitudinally for facilitating equal distribution of theink thereby transferred from the transfer means along the inking roller,and the inking roller also being arranged to rotate during said anotherportion of each machine cycle of operation so as to transfer, in turn,ink from the inking roller onto the ribbon.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. I, an endless inked ribbon 11 issupported on a framework comprising a support plate 12 removablyattached to a frame plate 13 of the business machine. The ribbon 11 isguided around the periphery of a feeding and inking roller 14, composedof a suitable material, such as hard felt, said roller 14 beingrotatably mounted on a stud 15 secured in the plate 12, and beingrotated clockwise (with reference to FIG. 1) during the first half-cycleof each machine operation by suitable mechanism (not shown) engaging anend portion 16 (FIG. 2) of the roller 14 when the plate 12 is correctlypositioned in the machine. A pressure roller 17, formed of the samematerial as the inking roller 14, is supported between the side arms 18a(FIGS. 1 and 2) of a yoke member 18 rotatably mounted on a stud 20secured in the support plate 12, the yoke member 18 being normally urgedclockwise (with reference to FIG. 1) by means of a spring 21 to maintainthe ribbon 11, passing between the roller 17 and the roller 14, in firmcontact with the latter roller 14. A downward extension 18b is providednear the right-hand end of the yoke member 18 (FIG. 2) for the purposeto be explained hereinafter. A ribbon tension roller 23, supportedbetween the side arms of a further yoke 24 (FIG. I), also rotatablymounted on the pIate-IZ-carried stud 20, is urged clockwise by a spring25 extending between the yoke 24 and a stud 26 secured to asupport-plate-lZ-carried extension member 27. The tension roller 23,under the influence of the spring 25, normally maintains the endlessribbon 11 in a taut condition. A downwardly and forwardly directedextension 240 of the further yoke 24 lies adjacent the yoke extension1812 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3), all for the purpose hereafter explained withrespect to operation of the instant invention.

Ink is administered to the ribbon II to maintain it in thatprint-producing condition providing for distinct and welldefinedimpressions to be made upon a record material (not shown) by said ribbon11 when appropriate type-carrying members (also notshown) strike therecord material and press the ribbon 11 against an adjacent platen(again not shown). The ink is supplied to the inking roller 14 by meansofa pair of transfer rollers 28 axially aligned and rotatably mounted ona rod 29 extending between the side arms of still a further yoke 30rotatably mounted on the stud 20, the yoke 30 being urgedcounterclockwise (with reference to FIG. I) by an associated torsionspring 31 wrapped around a stud 32 likewise carried by the frameworksupport plate 12 (FIG. 2). Each roller 28 of the pair of transferrollers 28 is normally out of contact with the upper end of a respectiveone ofa pair of wicks 33, which extend downwardly into the interior of aremovable ink reservoir 34 mounted on a bracket 54 secured to the frameplate 13. The transfer rollers 28 are preferably made of metal and, asshown in FIG. 1, are provided on their peripheries with a plurality ofclosely spaced grooves or serrations extending along the whole lengththereof in a direction parallel to their longitudinal axes (see alsoFIG. 2). While both such rollers 28 and the associated wicks 33 arepreferably in the pairs as so described, it is axiomatic that singleones of either of such members-i.e., one wick 33 for either one or tworollers 28 or one roller 28 for either one or two wicks 33may replacethe preferred arrangement with equally successful results as differentprinting and/or space requirements are caused to arise. That is, whiledouble rollers 28 and wicks 33 are herein illustrated for the presentdisclosure, one only of either or each might be otherwise incorporatedas a most effective means for accomplishing the noted ink-transferringoperation intended.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, and as can be understood from FIG. 2, theleft-hand arm of the yoke 30 is provided with a notch 30a engaging astud 35 of a control lever 36, which is rotatably mounted on the supportplate stud 15 and which has a further stud 37 extending through anaperture 120 in the machine framework support plate 12. The right sideedge of the notch 30a, as seen in FIG. 1, is appropriately sloped so asto form a camming surface with respect to the stud 35, all for thereason to be clearly understood from the operational descriptionpresented later herein. A link 38 extends between the stud 37 of thecontrol lever 36 and a companion stud 39 secured in one side arm 18a ofthe yoke 18, such stud 39 passing also freely through an aperture, suchas 120, in the support plate 12.

Secured to a main shaft 40 of the business machine is a drive plate 41(FIG. 3). A cam arm 44, pivotally mounted on a fixed shaft 43, isarranged to present its lower end in position to be contacted by a stud42 on the drive plate 41 during the second half of each cycle ofrotation of the machine main shaft 40, to in turn cause a stud on theupper end of the cam arm 44 to actuate the downward extensions 18b and24a of the yokes 18 and 24 and therethrough rock said yokes l8 and 24counterclockwise a precise extent during such time of each operation ofthe business machine. As understood from FIG. 1, counterclockwiserocking of the yoke 24 causes its supporting ribbon tension roller 23 tomove upwardly and thereby slacken the tension in the ink ribbon 11.Simultaneous counterclockwise rocking of the yoke 18 disengages thepressure roller 17 from the inking roller 14. The slack in the ribbon 11is, of course, taken up by the disengaging movement of the pressureroller 17. The rocking of the yoke 18, through the interconnected link38, likewise rocks at such time the control lever 36 alsocounterclockwise, whereby its stud 35 contacts the right side edgecamming surface of the notch 30a in the side arm of the yoke 30 andthereby imparts clockwise rocking to the yoke 30. Clockwise movement ofthe yoke 30 disengages the ink transfer rollers 28 from contact with theinking roller 14 and moves said rollers 28 downwardly and into contactwith the wicks 33 of the ink reservoir 34 to receive, on each roller 28,a predetermined amount of ink in the form of a wick end producing spotof ink thereon, such ink spot on each roller 28 spreading along itsgrooves to insure even distribution of the ink therealong.

Upon the stud 45 of the cam arm 44 (FIG. 3) reaching adrive-plate-4l-controlled position during machine operation out ofcontact with the extensions 18b and 24a of the yokes 18 and 24, whichhappens at a time slightly prior to the end of each machine cycle ofoperation, their springs 21 and 25, respectively, restore such yokes 18and 24 clockwise to their normal, or home, positions, as shown in FIG.I, where the pressure roller 17 is returned to engagement with theinking roller 14, and ribbon slack caused thereby is taken up bydownward movement of the ribbon tension roller 23. Simultaneous withsuch restoration of the yoke 18 is the link-38- urged clockwise returnto normal of the control lever 36, which again returns the stud 35thereof into receiving position within the notch 30a and permits, underurgence of the spring 31, counterclockwise return to home of the furtheryoke 30, where, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the ink transfer rollers 28thereof return again into contact with the inking roller 14. SuchFIG.-1-illustrated positioning of the various yokes, rollers, and otherelements making up the present invention of course remains as themachine comes to rest in its cycle of operation, with the ink transferrollers 28 engaged with the inking roller 14 and with the pressure andtension rollers 17 and 23, respectively, positioned for maintaining theribbon 11 taut and in condition for advancement. Through theearlier-mentioned driving mechanism operating on the end portion 16 ofthe roller 14 (FIG. 2), rotation of the inking roller 14 then takesplace during the first half-cycle of the next succeeding machineoperation to in turn advance the ribbon 11 a precise extent and causerotation of the transfer rollers 28 for transferring the ink. sodistributed thereon by the reservoir wicks 33 during such precedingmachine operation onto the roller 14 and therefrom to the advancingribbon 11. Each machine operation is thus seen to provide, during thesecond half-cycle thereof, a shifting of the ink transfer rollers 28from their normal, inking-roller-l4-contacting position during theribbonadvancing first half-cycle thereof to the ink-wick-33-contactingposition for receipt of the specified amount of ink therefrom and thenceimmediately back to the roller-14-contacting position in preparation forthe transfer of such ink amount along the peripheral surface of theroller 14 and onto the ribbon 11 during the first half-cycle of the nextmachine operation.

From the above description, it is apparent that a precise amount only ofink is transferred to the ribbon 11 and then only when said ribbon 11 iscalled into use for providing a print, thus providing a ribbon 11 whichis continually available for producing prints of sufficient clarity forthem to be accurately read by optical reading apparatus. Furthermore,while the form of mechanism shown and described is admirably adapted toavoid any possibility of overinking or underinking of the particularprinter ribbon employed, it is clear that various omissions,substitutions, and changes in the form and operation of such mechanismmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that theinvention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms and is notintended to be confined beyond the limitations which may be imposed bythe following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A ribbon-inking device for use in a business machine printermechanism of the type including an ink ribbon in contact with aperipheral portion of an inking roller for applying ink to the ribbon,comprising an ink supply means spaced from said inking roller;

a yoke rockably supported from the machine and having a cam surfacethereon;

an ink transfer roller journaled on the yoke and movable along a pathinto and out of individual contact with each of said inking roller andsaid ink supply means;

means for resiliently urging said transfer roller into contact with theinking roller;

control mechanism including a lever rockably supported from the machineand carrying follower means engageable with the cam surface;

means for rocking the lever-carrying follower means from a firstposition of adjustment, permitting contact of the transfer roller-withthe inking roller, to a second position of adjustment into engagementwith the cam surface, thereby camming such transfer roller out ofcontact with the inking roller to move said transfer roller into contactwith said ink supply means for transferring ink thereto 'from saidsupply means during one portion of each operation of the businessmachine, and thence back to said first position of adjustment uponurging of the resilient means to disengage the follower means from thecam surface, permitting movement of said transfer roller out of. contactwith said supply means and into contact with said inking roller fortransferring ink thereto from said transfer roller prior to a furtherportion of each operation of the business machine; and

means driving said inking roller to rotate said transfer roller byfrictional contact therewith during said further portion of eachoperation of the business machine so as to transfer in turn the inksupply thereto by the transfer roller therefrom and onto the ribbon.

2. In a business machine printer mechanism employing an ink ribbon inperipheral contact with an associated driven ribbon-feeding andinkingroller, said feeding and inking roller 6 being rotated during onecycling time of each operation of the business machine for advancingsaid ink ribbon a certain extent thereduring, an inking mechanism forsaid ribbon comprising an ink supply means spaced from said feeding andinking roller;

a yoke rockably supported from the machine and having recessed cam meansthereon;

an ink transfer roller journaled on the yoke and positioned for shiftingmovement along a path between said. ink supply means and said feedingand inking roller;

means normally urging said transfer roller toward contact with thefeeding and inking roller in the cam-disengageable position;

control mechanism including a lever member having thereon a followerstud engageable with the recessed cam means and normally positioned forpermitting contact of the transfer roller with the feeding and inkingroller and movable to a cam-engageable position for moving said transferroller out of contact with said feeding and inking roller and intocontact with said ink supply means during a further cycling time-of eachoperation of the business machine, and disengageable from the cam meansto move said transfer roller out of contact with said ink supply meansand into contact with said feeding and inking roJier during still afurther cycling time of each operation of the business machine; and

driving mechanism actuated during each operation of the business machinefor moving said lever member to its cam engageable position at a c clingtime following mldoperation of the machine and or returning said levermember back to its normal-position at a cycling time prior totermination of operation of the machine;

said ink supply means including a wick member extending to present apredetermined amount of ink on said transfer roller when contactedtherewith during said further cycling time, and

said transfer roller including a surface for friction rotation with saiddriven feeding and inking roller during said one cycling time fortransferring the supply-means-presented amount of ink therefrom to suchfeeding and inking roller and therefrom onto the advancing ribbonthereby.

1. A ribbon-inking device for use in a business machine printermechanism of the type including an ink ribbon in contact with aperipheral portion of an inking roller for applying ink to the ribbon,comprising an ink supply means spaced from said inking roller; a yokerockably supported from the machine and having a cam surface thereon; anink transfer roller journaled on the yoke and movable along a path intoand out of individual contact with each of said inking roller and saidink supply means; means for resiliently urging said transfer roller intocontact with the inking roller; control mechanism including a leverrockably supported from the machine and carrying follower meansengageable with the cam surface; means for rocking the lever-carryingfollower means from a first position of adjustment, permitting contactof the transfer roller with the inking roller, to a second position ofadjustment into engagement with the cam surface, thereby camming suchtransfer roller out of contact with the inking roller to move saidtransfer roller into contact with said ink supply means for transferringink thereto from said supply means during one portion of each operationof the business machine, and thence back to said first position ofadjustment upon urging of the resilient means to disengage the followermeans from the cam surface, permitting movement of said transfer rollerout of contact with said supply means and into contact with said inkingroller for transferring ink thereto from said transfer roller prior to afurther portion of each operation of the business machine; and meansdriving said inking roller to rotate said transfer roller by frictionalcontact therewith during said further portion of each operation of thebusiness machine so as to transfer in turn the ink supply thereto by thetransfer roller therefrom and onto the ribbon.
 2. In a business machineprinter mechanism employing an ink ribbon in peripheral contact with anassociated driven ribbon-feeding and inking roller, said feeding andinking roller being rotated during one cycling time of each operation ofthe business machine for advancing said ink ribbon a certain extentthereduring, an inking mechanism for said ribbon comprising an inksupply means spaced from said feeding and inking roller; a yoke rockablysupported from the machine and having recessed cam means thereon; an inktransfer roller journaled on the yoke and positioned for shiftingmovement along a path between said ink supply means and said feeding andinking roller; means normally urging said transfer roller toward contactwith the feeding and inking roller in the cam-disengageable position;control mechanism including a lever member having thereon a followerstud engageable with the recessed cam means and normally positioned forpermitting contact of the transfer roller with the feeding and inkingroller and movable to a cam-engageable position for moving said transferroller out of contact with said feeding and inking roller and intocontact with said ink supply means during a further cycling time of eachoperation of the business machine, and disengageable from the cam meansto move said transfer roller out of contact with said ink supply meansand into contact with said feeding and inking roller during still afurther cycling time of each operation of the business machine; anddriving mechanism actuated during each operation of the business machinefor moving said lever member to its cam engageable position at a cyclingtime following midoperation of the machine and for returning said levermember back to its normal position at a cycling time prior totermination of operation of the machine; said ink supply means includinga wick member extending to present a predetermined amount of ink on saidtransfer roller when contacted therewith during said further cyclingtime, and said transfer roller including a surface for friction rotationwith said driven feeding and inking roller during said one cycling timefor transferring the supply-means-presented amount of ink therefrom tosuch feeding and inking roller and therefrom onto the advancing ribbonthereby.